Check-valve



(No Model.) v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1,

E. KUIOHLING 8; E. L. ROWE.

CHECK VALVE.

2 SheetsSheet 2. E. KUIOHLING 8: E. L. ROWE. CHECK VALVE.

(No Model.)

Patented Mar. 17, 1896.

5 a 611w 04.68 W

UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

EMIL KUIOHLING, OF ROCHESTER, AND ELLIS L. ROlVE, OF TROY, AS- SIGNORSTO THE RENSSELAER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF TROY, NEW YORK.

CH EC K VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 556,636, dated March1'7, 1896.

Application filed May 31, 1895- SeriaI No. 551,051. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: ing being inclined upwardly toward this seatBe it known that we, EMIL KUICHLING, of at the inlet side and droppingbelow the seat Rochester, inthecountyofll/lonroe, andELLIs on the outletside, so that there will be no L. ROWE, of Troy, in the county ofRensseplace for lodgment of silt, &c., which might laer, State of NewYork, have invented cerchoke the valve. In the top of the casing is tainnew and useful Improvements in Checkan opening closed by a removablecover A.

Valves; and we do hereby declare that the fol- Said opening is of suchsize that the entire lowing is a full, clear, and exact description gatemechanism can be readily put in or taken thereof, reference being had tothe accompaout, as desired, when cover A is removed.

10 nying drawings, and to the letters of refer- The gate 0 is providedwithabronze facing ence marked thereon, which form part of this O to fitagainst the seat B, and has two pairs specification. of perforated ears0 c projecting from its This invention is an improvement in checkrearface, said ears being horizontally in line valves especially designedfor use on waterand below the central horizontal diameter of I 5 supplysystems, and its objects are, first, to the gate. Between these cars arepivotally obviate the injurious shocks and pounding secured the lowerends of hangers D D by from water-ram in the pipes (attendant on themeans of a through-bolt d. Said hangers are use of check-valves asordinarily constructed) preferably of bronze extend above the gate, bymaking the valve-gate open and close in a and have sleeves D on theirupper ends by 20 peculiar manner; second, to so construct the which theyare hung on a stub-shaft E, which check-valve that its gate will open orclose is supported in U-shaped lugs 61., projecting under very lowpressure or from the slightest from the inner wall of the casingdirectly current of water in either direction, or gradabove seat B, asshown. ually but quickly unseat itself under high The shaft E iscentered in any suitable 25 pressure, and will be operated without lossmanner in its bearings or supports a, so that of head or pressure in themains, and, third, thegate is hung directly opposite its seat and torender all parts of the check-valve readily (when the seat is vertical,as shown) will accessible, and simple and durable in 0011- just close bygravity, if otherwise unaffected. struction. The shaft is properlycentered in its bearings 30 The invention therefore consists in the bypouring soft-metal packing into the cavi- 8o novel construction andcombinations of parts ties in lugs a, while the gate is held properlyhereinafter claimed, and the following is a on its seat in any suitablemanner, such packdetailed description of what we consider the ing beingindicated at a in Fig. 1. best and simplest form of check-valve em- Onthe under side of cover A are lugs A 3 5 bodying our invention,reference being made which fit over lugs a when the cover is in poto theaccompanying drawings, illustrating sition and confine the shaft E inplace. To the same, by letters of reference. prevent rotation thereofthe shaft is slightly In said drawings, Figure 1 is a centralverflattened at one end, as at E, beneath the tical longitudinal sectionthrough the checklugs, as shown in Fig. 3.

40 valve 011 line 1 1, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a trans- Hangers D pass througha yoke O on the 0 verse section through the valve-casing on line backand near the top of the gate. The pas- 2 2, Fig. 1, showing the valveand its hangers sages O through the yoke are slightly larger infulllines. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the than the hangers are thick,so that the gate valve with the top plate of casing removed. is alloweda limited swing upon bolt (1 in re- 45 Figs. 41 and 5 are detailsections like Fig. 1, lation to the hangers. showing the differentpositions of the valve The hangers are preferably T-shaped in in openingand closing. cross-section to make them light, but are pro- Thevalve-casing A, as shown, is provided vided with cross-flanges D wherethey pass with a Vertical bronze valve-seat B near one through the yokesto increase their contact 5 end, the bottom of passage through thecaswearing-surfaces. 10o

It will be noticed that the pivots or hinge of the gate on its hangersis below the center of the gate or near the side of the gate farthestfrom the shaft E. Consequently there will be a tendency of the upper endof gate to drop away from the hangers. The gate is hung in this peculiarmanner so that instead of rising bodily away from the seat in openingits upper end or edge nearest the shaft E will first tilt ofi the seatand allow water to flow past the top of the valve before the lower partis off the seat, and in closing the same peculiar hinging causes thereverse action of the valve, for the top of the valve will reach theseat before the lower part. Consequently while the greater part of thewater is shut off at once a sufficiently small quantity of water iscaught between the lower edge of valve and seat to cushion it andprevent the injurious jarring and pounding which would certainly ensueif the entire water-way was closed at once. Hence it will be seen thatthe action of the gate hung in this peculiar manner is such that theslightest current of water in either direction will operate it, and noappreciable loss of head or back pressure upon the pumps can ensue, andby being cushioned in the closing process the usual wear upon the seatsand consequent leakage caused by pounding of the gate in closing, invalves as usually constructed, is avoided. For instance, when the gateis closed, as indicated in Fig. 1, it fits closely and easily on seat B.If a small quantity of water be withdrawn from the main in rear of thegate the slight pressure in front thereof will tilt the upper part ofthe gate slightly backward, as indicated in Fig. 4, unseating the upperportion of the gate sufiiciently to allow the minute quantity of waterto pass before swinging the gate entirely oif its seat, and as soon asthe pressure on both sides of gate is equal the gate closes easily andquietly. If a large volume of water is to pass, the gate is first tiltedback, as described, and then bodily swung ofi its seat, as indicated inFig. 5. hen the rush ceases the gate tilts forward by gravity, asindicated in dotted lines, Fig. 5, and the upper part of the gate firstcontacts with the seat; but, as the gate is hinged on its hangers, ityields until the bottom comes in contact with the seat also. Thus thedouble swinging movement of the gate prevents any sudden clacking of thegate against its seat and consequent sudden cut-off of the entirewater-passage. If the gate be forced suddenly in either direction itwill tilt on its hangers, and therefore instead of lifting directly awayfrom the seat at all points, or seating directly on the seat at allpoints, it gradually separates from and comes back to the seat. Thistilting action of the gate causes an automatic water-cushioning of thegate in opening and closing, and it further renders the cheek-valve verysensitive in action, for it will respond immediately to very slightchanges in pressure which would not affect the gate if it has to liftbodily from the seat at all points simultaneously.

hile we prefer to hang the gate vertically, as shown in drawings, itmight in some cases be arranged on an incline, as in ordinary forms ofcheck-valves, the. hinge connections being maintained, so that it wouldbe cushioned in opening and closing, as described.

For small check-valves one hanger might be found sufficient; and forvery large mains we would prefer to arrange a number of the gates overcorresponding seats, constructed substantially as described, but havinga total area equal to the desired water-way, rather than use one largegate, as the multi-gate cheek-valve would be more sensitive in action.

The foregoing with the drawings will make clear the peculiar tiltingmotion of the gate and its method of hanging,whereby the weight of thegate is supported on the pivots, thus requiring only the slightest fiowof water to open the check, also its method of opening one side firstand closing in the same mannerthat is, the area of water above where itis hung is so much greater than below where the gate is pivoted onto itshangers, that in closing the top of the gate always closes first andcushions down on the water passing through it.

Having thus described our invention, what we therefore claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent thereon, is-- 1. In a check-valve thecombination of a casing, and seat, with a tilting and swinging gatehinged on swinging supports below its center, substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

2. In a cheek-valve the combination of the casing, the seat, and thehangers hinged to the casing above the seat, with the gate fitted to theseat and hinged to the hangers below its center, so that the gate willtilt 0E and on its seat in opening and closing, substantially as and forthe purpose specified.

3. In a check-valve the combination of the casing, the seat, and thehangers hinged to the casing above the seat with the gate fitted to theseat and hinged to the hangers below its center, so that the gate willtilt off and on its seat in opening and closing, and the yoke attachedto the gate and embracing the hangers to limit the movement of the gatein relation thereto, substantially as and for the purpose described.

at. In a check-valve, the combination of the casing having a seat, lugsabove the seat and a shaft supported in said lugs; with the gate fittedto said seat, and the hangers suspended from said shaft and pivoted tothe gate below its center, for the purpose and substantially asdescribed.

5. In a check-valve the combination of the casing having a seat, lugsabove the seat and a shaft supported in said lugs; with the gate fittedto said seat, and the hangers suspended from said shaft and pivoted tothe gate below embracing the hangers, all substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing as our own We affix oursignatures in presence I 5 of two witnesses.

EMIL KUICHLING. ELLIS L. ROWE.

\Vitnesses HORACE G. PIERCE, SoLoMoN R. HENDRICKS.

